The present disclosure generally relates to deep tissue massagers, and more particularly relates to an apparatus for use in therapeutic massage applications in which forces are provided to an outer surface of the human body and subcutaneously within human tissues.
Traditional massage therapy has not changed significantly since its inception in 2330 BC. Frequently the daily demands placed on many humans today produces pain in the neck, shoulders, lower backs, legs and more. These pains are a result of overworked muscles that never fully return to a relaxed state, but instead are overworked repeatedly until they are contracted so as to better protect the muscle tissues to from being strained or torn. These repeated patterns of overuse frequently lead to a constant state of contraction or chronic muscle spasm.
Traditional massage therapy only relieves these problems for short periods of time, and is ineffective on deep muscle spasms unless numerous massages are scheduled over a period of days, weeks or months. Human Skin is comprised of a.) the epidermis, b.) the dermis, and c.) the hypodermis. More recent massage techniques employ the means to promote circulation within the blood and lymphatic vessels present in the skin, but are largely ineffective in doing so.
In order for professional massage, sports or physical therapists to be most effective, they must be very physically fit, as to provide an effective deep tissue massage requires exerting great forces for long periods of time. Additionally, professionals must provide a series of deep tissue massages in succession, which requires even greater physical stamina, that frequently result in repetitive stress or other injuries to the professional.
In using conventional devices and methods for deep tissue massage, it has been found inconvenient, for example, that in an effort to penetrate severe muscle spasms, even professional therapists can inflict pain, or cause bruising to the skin in an effort to penetrate a severe or deep muscle spasm. Motorized massage devices typically have had a contact surface arrangement including a composition of rigid plastic or terry cloth in direct contact with a patient's skin which during operation of the device can result in chafing, abrasion, or bruising of the massaged skin or tissue. Additionally, the terry cloth or a similar pad cover can be prone to disintegrate into airborne particles, which when breathed in, causes respiratory complications to the sinuses, throats and lungs in both the therapist and the patient.